A Different Outcome
by DeRez
Summary: The ending of Tron: Legacy, only my own twist to the plot. A short little gift to my readers, happy holidays! Fluff? Implied Tron/Sam. M/M. Reviews loved! :3 -Decided to continue it! :3-
1. Chapter 1

**Warnings:** Mild language and fighting. Fluff? Implied Tron/Sam. m/m Future Tron/Sam?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Tron or any of its characters.

**A/n:** Hey guys! Happy holidays, and here's a little gift. :D I'm not dead, was just on hiatus, sorry I didn't warn you. College is kicking my arse, but I passed physics and calc 2! Yay! Now onto calc 3 and physics 2, as well as statics (mechanical engineering class) and macro economics. -_- Not going to be a fun semester.

So in other words, be patient as I rewrite Tron: Reformation! I must get back my inspiration somehow, and in the meantime, here's a little something I wanted to write.

**A Different Outcome**

Cold, wet, suffocating. As his system rebooted, he realized he was in trouble. Where was he? Hadn't he fallen to his death? Wait… why did he feel different? And why was he so cold and wet, and why the hell couldn't he breathe?

Eyes sprung open, blazing to life and realization. The Sea of Simulation… he was slowly sinking. Panic flowed through his circuits as he tried to figure out which way he should swim… which way was up? Everything was so dark!

No… he couldn't panic. Calm down, relax… feel the way your body is sinking… There! He picked a direction and began to swim that way, up towards what he hoped was the surface. He'd never swam before, but it seemed to be working, Flynn had once told him how it was done but the Sea of Simulation was not to be entered… it was unknown territory. Who knew what could happen.

In what seemed like minutes, the program surfaced, relief flooding throughout his system. He would not drown. Though the thought occurred to him… could programs drown? He sure felt like he could! But he was not going to put that to the test. No… The last he remembered, CLU was chasing after Flynn and his son, and the last remaining ISO. He had to help! He had to protect the Users!

Wait.

Glancing down at himself, the program seemed to have a sudden epiphany. He was no longer taking a backseat in his system. He was… himself again. He now sported blue, glowing circuits once again, not that horrid, blazing red-orange.

With determination he hadn't felt in many cycles, he urged his body forward, swimming with all his energy towards the glowing, white portal that lay ahead. It was not gone yet, they had not reached it. He had a chance to redeem himself if he could get there in time. All he was focused on was helping the Users, not what he had done. That would hit him later.

...

After a relatively bumpy landing made by Quorra, though Sam had to give her credit as the jet was damaged, the trio quickly exited the damaged light jet. The portal was so near… you could practically feel the pulsing energy which was pretty new to Sam… though he bet after this ordeal, nothing would surprise him anymore.

"Come on, man, let's get to the portal, quickly!" His father spoke, motioning with his hand. He moved quite quickly for an older man who had dedicated his time to meditating, Sam noted.

Without hesitation, Sam followed his father towards the stairs and up they went, Quorra bringing up the rear. As they neared the top, the sound of a light jet derezzing back into a baton caught their attention. It couldn't be… could it?

But it was. CLU had just landed on the bridge in front of them, blocking their way to the beckoning portal. It was just one of those major letdown moments, when you realized there would be a fight to escape.

Same glared at the program blocking their path, "CLU…" He sneered, pissed for all the issues that man caused him, the world, the company, the people in the Grid, and the ISOs.

"I had a feeling you'd be here!" Flynn shouted to the program made in his image. He stepped forward quite a bit, and Sam made to follow, but Quorra held him back, causing him to scowl. No, he would not be separated from his dad, not after all that had happened! He pulled free and stepped towards his dad, stopping behind him.

"The cycles haven't been kind to you, have they?" CLU taunted, shouting over the noise of the portal behind him.

"Nahh, you don't look so bad!" Flynn replied, forcing a grin. It was hard to do so when you were facing down yourself, or something supposed to be you but a failure in the end.

"I did everything! Everything you ever asked!"

"I know you did," Flynn replied, sadness in his voice now.

"I executed the plan!"

"As you saw it," was the curt reply.

"You… You promised that we would change the world, together," CLU spoke, moving forward, his voice slightly desperate, "you broke your promise."

"I know, I understand that now," Flynn replied, beginning to move forward towards the program. But Sam held him back, not trusting CLU. He didn't want his father anywhere near the corrupt program.

"I took the system to its maximum potential, I created the perfect system!" He said angrily, stopping once more.

"The thing about perfection is that it's unknowable, it's impossible but it's also right in front of us all the time… You wouldn't know that because I didn't when I created you!" Flynn's voice was now full of emotion- regret, sadness, desperation to get through… "I'm sorry, CLU… I'm sorry," he said, raising his arms as if to embrace.

Sam stared at his father's open arms, shaking his head. He really trusted the program? No way… As CLU stepped hesitantly forward, Sam suddenly pulled his father back, "No, I won't let you get close to him. You'll take his disc, I don't trust you," he said.

CLU seemed taken aback, but only for a moment. The look morphed into a smirk, "Smart, for a User… You'll hand me that disc now, or the ISO dies!" He said with a triumphant smirk, motioning behind them.

Sam and Flynn whirled around, astonished to see Quorra being held with a disc to her neck by a Black Guard. How… Ah, it made sense now… the large ship with CLU's army was approaching… He must have been called in somehow. Sam frowned, suddenly feeling like a failure again. He should have stayed back there with her! Damn it!

"Don't worry about me, Flynn! I can mmph-!" She was cut off by the Black Guard covering her mouth, tightening his grip as well.

Sam frowned, torn. He wanted so badly to go home with his father… but Quorra, they couldn't just abandon the last ISO… she was special. She was the miracle his father had been so ecstatic about. He looked at his father, who had turned back to CLU, and Sam could see the gears in his mind moving. How was he going to handle this?

"Let her go, CLU! This is between you and me, don't involve them! Fight me for my disc fairly!" He said, determination in his voice. He would not let them harm Quorra… but his disc… Sam needed to get home.

"This was never fair! Why make it so now, Flynn?" CLU sneered, "Now give me the disc or she dies! You have ten, nine, eight…" He began to count down by seconds.

Sam grabbed his identity disc, tensing. What were they going to do! He looked at his father, and then at CLU. And at that moment, he saw CLU's face change. He wasn't sneering, but shocked.

"You're alive? But you fell!" The words from CLU's mouth left Sam confused until he turned around and saw orange pieced of program falling around Quorra's frame as the Black Guard was derezzed. By Rinzler. Only… a blue, soaking wet Rinzler. "No matter…" CLU's voice was back to being hard as stone. "Return to me, Rinzler… get rid of these pesky Users," he said, not seeming to realize the change in color.

"No." The voice was a robotic purr, masked by the helmet it seemed. But the defiance was easily recognizable. As the helmet began retracting, the program pulled two discs from his back, sliding into a fighting stance, "I fight FOR the Users!" He yelled, before charging, leaping right over Sam and Flynn and at CLU.

Sam could not believe his eyes as he watched a younger version of Alan Bradley only with darker hair, his surrogate father for many years, charge towards them and leap acrobatically towards CLU, right over them. His mouth agape, he could only stare as CLU was tackled, though he had blocked the light disc from hitting his chest.

"Tron!" Flynn's voice was full of relief as he watched his dear friend make his return. He had won… he had defeated CLU's reprogramming. But pushing aside his happiness, Flynn could see their time was running out. The ship was fast approaching.

"Flynn! We have to go!" Quorra said, suddenly at Flynn's side. "The ship is coming! CLU's occupied, let's go!" She said, desperate.

Flynn nodded, "Right…" He said, kneeling and quickly creating another path to the portal so they could get past the fighting duo in front of them. Tron had the upper hand, he was winning. "Kiddo, let's go!" Flynn said, grabbing Sam's arm to shake him out of his daze. "Now," he nodded.

Sam shook his head, suddenly nodding. "Right…" He said, though his mind was going a million different ways at once. Tron was Rinzler… Tron was fighting CLU for them… Tron was Alan? Or was Tron just a look-a-like? His mind was spinning, and he decided he didn't like where his thoughts were going, so he simply tried to stop thinking. He followed Quorra and Flynn as they ran towards the portal, only half there.

"What… What about Tron?" He suddenly voiced, looking back just before the portal. He watched as Tron ducked and swiped his leg out, tripping CLU easily. And then his eyes moved to the approaching ship with so many of CLU's followers… perhaps all of them…

"Tron can handle himself," Flynn said, suddenly confident. He hated to leave him behind again, but he knew what Tron would say if he didn't leave… he'd likely kick his ass, actually… "Sam, we have to go, come on man!" He pulled his son into the portal, taking his disc off his back. He raised it, the portal suddenly shooting light up into the sky and down into the sea.

And as Sam looked back to the ongoing fight, he could see and hear Tron shout, and shove his disc into CLU's chest. Shock and anger flitted across CLU's face before he crumbled into bits. Tron snapped his discs back together and turned to face the trio in the portal. His eyes rose to Flynn's and he nodded. But then his eyes moved to Sam, lingering there.

Sam stared back, suddenly noticing that his right eye was blue-gray while the other was amber-gray. Why…? He had no time to ponder it, as suddenly Tron was turning, a baton- stolen from CLU in his hand. He jumped into the air, a mini light jet forming around him as he shot up towards the ship.

And then everything was gone. The bright world of the Grid was no more and the trio found themselves in the dusty, old, basement office of the arcade. Sam closed his eyes, and he could still see those fierce, mismatched eyes perfectly. Sam let out a shaky breath, unsure about why he felt so down right now. He, Quorra, and dad had made it out alright. They were… home. Dad was home. He shouldn't be thinking about Tron and the Grid and how impossible it seemed that Tron could take out that entire ship.

They had much to do.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>I loved this~ for some reason. I mean, it's not my best piece… I feel like my writing could have been better. But I'm out of practice… too much calculus recently, I say! XD

So I don't know if I want to continue this. If I do, I might not continue Reformation for quite a while. They're both different types of sequels, obviously. XD Ah well~ Let me know what you thought! Critique would be much appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

**Warnings:** Mild language... Eventual Tron/Sam... Eventually mature. x3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Tron or any of its characters.

**A/n:** Back again. ._. I can't help but continue this one a bit.

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><p>Two weeks. It had taken two entire weeks for Sam and Flynn to acquire the proper documents for Quorra to, well, exist. It had not been easy to do, either… they had to call in a lot of favors and make a lot of deals. And no matter how frustrated Sam got, his father had told him it was necessary, even when Sam's Ducati, his pride and joy, had to be sold. His <em>Ducati<em>for heaven's sake!

If only he hadn't taken it to meet with that shady creep. Sam ran a hand through his hair, glaring at nothing as he thought about it. As for his father, he hadn't exactly come out to the public yet. He was unsure how they should bring him back… everybody thought he was dead. What, they just say he had taken a break?

Sam shook his head. No, they had to come up with a proper excuse. Being abducted was out of the question- no proof, nor anybody to put in jail for it. It was a difficult situation, and his dad was happy enough to just sit at home and relax, experience the new technology of today's world.

Oh, yeah, about that… They couldn't all fit in Sam's cozy pad down by the river and tracks. He'd never gotten rid of his grandparent's place, and since it was his in their will… well, that's where they were. It was big enough for himself, Quorra, and his dad. Though, he had to admit he wasn't used to living with others.

Ah, and Alan… he was another dilemma. They had yet to reveal any of this to him, let alone that his dad was alive. And now would probably be the best time to do it. He glanced over at his father who was on his laptop, still a bit slow with using the device. "Dad, Alan called earlier. I think it's time we tell him… everything," he said, wondering what he thought of the idea.

"Wait…" Flynn said, turning to eye his son, "you haven't told him?" he asked, surprised. "You haven't spoken to him about the Grid or anything?" When Sam shook his head, Flynn laughed, "Man, we need to. He'll be ecstatic! Give him a call, tell him to come over!" He smiled happily.

Ah, that's right. They WERE good friends… he bet Dad wanted to see Alan. He nodded, "Alright, I will," he said simply, ignoring Quorra as she came into the room with the biggest grin on her face, carrying what looked like a can of beer, though he couldn't tell from here.

"Flynn! Flynn! I've discovered that although this drink isn't the best tasting, it has a weird effect on my syste- I mean body!" She giggled, causing Flynn to shake his head.

Flynn laughed, though, taking the can from her. "Quorra, this is beer. It will intoxicate you, er… How to explain, it will make you lose control of yourself, so you don't want to drink a lot of it, alright?" he said.

Quorra tilted her head, "Alright, I understand. I'll go explore what else is in the refrigerator!" She smiled brightly, dashing off to the kitchen once more. They had only just stocked the thing up, after all.

Sam frowned as the phone rang and nobody answered. He was about to hang up when the familiar voice of Alan Bradley picked up, "Hello?"

"Alan," Sam greeted, leaning back in his chair, "Uh… can you do me a favor and come on out to my grandparent's house? We've got a lot to talk about, it's important," he said, unsure if that was the best way. He might have a heart attack if he saw his dad… On second thought… "Somebody you know would like to talk to you in person," he admitted.

"Your grandparents? But Sam, why are you there? Oh never mind… I've learned to accept your peculiarities. Alright, I'll be over there in fifteen if there's no traffic. It's almost rush hour," Alan said into the phone.

Sam nodded, though Alan couldn't see. "Alright, no rush," he said simply, then hung up. He let out a slow breath of air. How in the world would this go..? Alan would definitely want to visit the Grid…

Which they hadn't been back to yet. They couldn't just take Alan there if they didn't know how the Grid was doing… Sure Tron was there, but was he alive? Last they saw, he had been flying towards that massive ship and CLU's army!

Sam forced himself to stop thinking about it. The possibility of his childhood hero dying was something he'd rather not think about. The sandy haired male stood and headed into the kitchen, noticing Quorra was trying to open a jar of pickles. "You almost got it," he commented, noticing her frustration and having to smile at it. Her first jar of pickles… He reached into the fridge and pulled out two beers, one for Alan when he got here. He'd need it. Then Sam moved to the foyer, plopping himself in the uncomfortable chair there, waiting. It would be awhile.

...

There was a knock on the door and Sam stood, unlocking it and pulling it open without hesitation. "Here, you'll need this, Alan," he said, shoving the beer into the older man's hands. He smiled, stepped aside, and let him in.

"What's this all about, Sam?" Aland asked, raising a brow and staring at the beer. He looked at the young man in front of him again, stepping inside and taking off his coat. He heard rummaging in the kitchen and tilted his head. "Who's in the kitchen?"

"Oh, that's just Quorra," Sam said, "You'll meet her. Let's go to the living room," he said, motioning that way.

As Alan stepped into the living room and looked around, he caught sight of Flynn sitting at the desk on the laptop, and he stopped, mouth open a bit. He blinked a couple of times and Sam grinned. This couldn't be real, right? Was that… "Flynn?" He asked, mouth dry.

Flynn turned around upon hearing his name, and he gave a great big smile to the other man, looking him up and down. "Alan! The years haven't been kind to you either, huh?" he chuckled. As if nothing had happened. Just like him.

Alan dropped the beer, as if he had seen a ghost. "It IS you! Where in the world have you been all these years? What is going on here!" he said in disbelief, anger coming into his tone. "You mean to tell me you've been alive all this time, leaving me to take care of your son and your company while you were off who knows where doing who-"

"Alan, Alan… Chill out, man," Flynn said, holding up his hands. "You're freaking out, I'll explain-" Flynn began, but he was interrupted.

Alan scowled, "You had better get started, then! And don't tell me that the years haven't been kind to me, they haven't been kind to you either, have they? Old man," he snorted, rolling his eyes.

Flynn laughed. "It's good to see you again, Alan… Ah, where do I begin..? There's so much…" He trailed off, thoughtful.

"Dad, begin with what you told me…" Sam said softly, having taken a seat on the sofa to watch the two go at it. It was amusing, to say the least.

"Right, right…" Flynn took a deep breath. "Alan, remember when I told you I was close to a breakthrough? I would change the world?" He questioned and received a curt and impatient nod in response. "Well, I did it… I made that breakthrough!" He said, giddy as a child. "I created the Grid… I rigged the laser to digitize a human, allow them to enter into a digital world… I built a city in there, Alan. I brought over Tron to help me on the new system… Oh don't give me that look. Yes, Tron, your security program… He's real," Flynn nodded, but then continued on, "I created a program in my image, named him CLU…" He trailed off, a sore subject.

Alan shook his head in disbelief. Flynn was crazy, he'd finally gone off the deep end, eh? But why wasn't Sam with him on this one? Was he just enabling his father?

Flynn continued to explain everything he had explained to Sam. The ISOs- the miracle- all the way up to CLU's betrayal and Tron's supposed demise. Then he went on to explain how Sam had entered the Grid and they had fought to escape, with Tron returning in the end to save them. And here they were.

Alan sat there, blinking at Flynn who stared at him expectantly. "What, you expect me to believe this, Flynn? You're telling me you created a world inside computers? And programs that we create are real, breathing organisms? I'm sorry, I just can't-"

"Flynn! These pickles are delicious! I've never tasted anything like these on the Grid!" Quorra bounded into the room, interrupting Alan, who just stared at her. She looked back, eyes widening. "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt you so rudely… My name is Quorra!" She smiled.

Alan raised a brow, "I'm Alan… nice to meet you… Who exactly are you?" He asked, then looked at Sam questioningly. "Is she-"

"No, no!" Sam said, sitting up suddenly. "No, she's not.. we're not… No. She's from the Grid. She's the last surviving ISO," Sam said, a small flush on his cheeks. Him and Quorra? No way… he admired her, she was an amazing person but he could never see himself with her.

Alan laughed, "I can't believe it… You're all in on this joke? Flynn. Give me the real reason why you've been missing all this time." He stated, serious again.

"We are serious, man… In fact, we'll take you there. You can go to the Grid too… Of course, not before one of us goes back to check on the state of things… But yes, you can visit the Grid," Flynn spoke. "You want proof, you'll get it tomorrow, then," Flynn grinned.

Alan frowned. "Bah, fine. Now, to important matters… When are you taking back the company?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"I'm not, Sam will." Flynn said with finality. "I still have to figure out a way to tell the world I'm alive without revealing the Grid just yet… It's not ready to be revealed," he said, thoughtful. "Oh, and Sam… come to think of it, it's about time we revisit the Grid-"

"No," Sam said, standing, "I'll go in, but you stay out to open the portal. In case… That way nobody can get trapped again," he shook his head. Besides, it's safer if I go, your disc is too valuable, if any of CLU's subordinates are still alive, they'd jump at the opportunity for your disc," he said simply.

"Sam… What CLU didn't realize is that your disc is also a key. Any User's disc is, unless we change that…" Flynn said, frowning. "Which we might have to, actually…" He shrugged. "No matter, I agree with you though I don't like the idea of you going alone. But you're old enough to make your own decisions," Flynn sighed.

"Thanks for realizing, Dad," Sam chuckled, putting his beer down. He disliked the fact that he had to ride the Ninja… "I'll be back, well… if I'm not back in eight hours, you know what to do," he said, pocketing his keys to the house and arcade and heading out the door.

Alan looked at Flynn, "I still don't believe a word of it," he said, though his voice didn't sound too sure of that.

Flynn grinned, "Just wait 'til you see the place, old man," he laughed.

...

As Sam took a seat in the chair, he could feel his heartbeat quicken. Why was he nervous? Was it because he didn't know what he'd find on the other side..? A destroyed Grid? A Grid in chaos? A peaceful Grid? …Tron dead?

He shook out of his stupor and began entering in the correct codes to the computer. To think only a few weeks ago he had no idea what he was getting into when he turned the laser on…

Sam hit enter.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Woot. This didn't much effort at all. Again, my writing is still a bit… rusty, so sorry for any errors or lack of flow. Any critique would help me a lot, so don't be worried about offending me- it rarely happens. x3

We haven't gotten to the Grid just yet, but enjoy, next chapter! :3


	3. Chapter 3

**Warnings:** Hints of Tron/Sam. Mild language.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Tron or any of its characters.

**A/n: **Thanks for the reviews, guys! Makes me happy to know people are reading. :3 Remember, I love critique~ x3 Now, onto a longer chapter! :3

**LoveOfPower-** Glad you love it! :D I hope you still do XD  
><strong>Absent-Minded22-<strong> Yay, glad you like it! :3 And no worries, Reformation isn't dead yet, it's just taking me awhile. It's not as fun to rewrite a story as it is to write it for the first time. But it will be continued eventually! :3  
><strong>EpicDonut2344<strong>- Love your username by the way. XD Donuts=love. Hahaha Anyway, continuing it, as you asked! :3 Hope you still enjoy these recent chapters!  
><strong>Ai-Sama-<strong>Yes! I'm back! ^w^ With loads of inspiration/ideas, so hopefully this will last for quite a while. XD

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><p>Sam found himself in the Grid replica of the arcade. He looked around, noticing the place was aglow from the circuits on his suit. Ah, so it seemed he would automatically be wearing this since he'd been here already? When Alan visited… how would he get a disc and suit? With no games to be carted off to…<p>

Sam took a breath and stood, making his way out. At least, he was hoping there would be no more games. The twenty-seven year old stepped out onto the quiet Grid, realizing that this sector must seriously be abandoned. It was quiet around here last time, too. And he was going to make sure to ask why they came into the Grid here, but had to leave through the portal far away… Ah well…

He walked down a random road, wondering what he was going to do if the Grid was in bad shape. It seemed okay… but again, this was a quiet sector. Sam stopped walking, looking at the ground below his feet. Travel would be nice… Ah, right! He was a user!

Sam knelt down, placing his hands on the floor and then lifting them, bringing a keyboard looking panel up with him. It was a holographic type keyboard and he began to quickly type out a sequence that would create a light cycle baton in front of him, hopefully. When he finished, he watched as a baton began to piece together in front of him, and he couldn't help but grin.

His dad had been right. It actually wasn't that hard- or at least little things like this. As long as you knew the basic algorithms and sequences…

He stood up again, got a running start, broke the baton in the proper spot and jumped into the air. A light cycle rezzed below him and he sped off down the abandoned street. He headed towards the taller buildings that were glowing with life.

Sam's mind wandered as he sped down the road. It wandered where he did not want it to go… He wondered how he could find Tron, if he was alive… or if he was dead… How could he find that out? The only one he knew of who could tell him was… Castor, and he really did NOT want to go to him if he was still alive.

He shook himself from the thoughts as he entered into a populated sector of the Grid, noticing the majority of programs were blue, green, yellow and even purple. He rarely saw any red or orange programs… Was that a good sign? Things seemed pretty normal… He pulled off to the side when he neared Tron City's skyscrapers, grabbing the baton when his light cycle derezzed. He holstered it to his leg and then began to walk a bit.

He got a few odd looks from some programs, but he assumed it was because he wasn't walking with a purpose and merely looking around. Or maybe it was his white circuitry… it seemed to be rare.

Sam sighed, coming to a stop and looking up at a rather tall building outlined in yellow circuitry. He stood there for a minute or so, thinking of his next move. "Can I help you?" A low voice asked him, and he looked down at a yellow program. "You seem to be searching for something, perhaps I can help you, friend," he said.

How could he ask about anything without being obvious that he was a User? To start with… the question that had been nagging him… "Yes, actually… I'm looking for a program. Rinzler. Is he alive?" Sam asked, unsure if he should ask for Tron or Rinzler… he felt Rinzler was the best bet.

The yellow search program stepped back suddenly, eyes wide, "Why would you inquire about Rinzler! Those who do never live! I know nothing, I'm sorry," he said, hurrying away with a glance over his shoulder.

Sam frowned at that. What? So… Tron… he was no longer himself, then? He was Rinzler again? But… He ran a hand through his hair. Okay, never mind… he wouldn't search for Tron, then. The male began to walk yet again, simply observing the programs walking around. It seemed things were normal, he had yet to run into any Black Guard or recognizers.

As Sam walked, he suddenly got a weird feeling in his gut. And he could hear something getting closer… It sounded almost like mechanical purring… Wait a second! Rinzler! He whirled around, but nothing was there. Sam faced forward again- nothing. So he kept walking, hating the fact that he felt so paranoid right now.

Sam came to a stop in front of the tallest skyscraper on the Grid, the one that hosted, or used to host, the End of Line club. He wondered if it had been rebuilt or if Castor was even alive. Looking up at the building he could see that there was no damage to be seen. Out of pure curiosity, Sam stepped towards the open elevator and decided to go to the top.

As the elevator traveled he pondered what he would see. Castor, last he had met, had betrayed them... if he was alive and still up here, then he would probably be in trouble so why was he doing this? He needed to check it out.

As Sam stepped off the elevator and down the long corridor he could hear and feel the music pulsating from the club. "So he's alive…" Sam murmured to himself, pausing outside of the door. Should he go in? He may be attacked… or would he not be recognized?

He didn't have the chance to decide.

A light disc was at his neck, and a strong arm was wrapped around him, preventing him from grabbing his own disc. Sam's eyes widened, unable to move, unable to see what color the program was. Well, did it matter? It was attacking him!

"You don't want to go in there, Sam Flynn," a robotic voice said, the real voice obviously masked by a helmet.

"And who are you to say that? I can go where I want," Sam replied stubbornly, wondering if this program was friendly or not.

"I'm a friend," the program replied, and the light disc lowered and the sound of a helmet retracting could be heard.

Sam whirled around, about to chew the other out for doing that to him, but he could only stare when he came face to face with Tron, who was unusually close to him. "T-Tron..?" He questioned, shocked. There was no doubt in his mind that this was Tron. He looked like Alan, and had those fierce mismatching eyes that, for some reason, captivated him.

"We should go elsewhere to talk," Tron said, turning and motioning for Sam to follow. "I was searching for you as soon as the portal opened, we have much to discuss," he said simply, his voice serious.

Sam followed, unsure. "Alright… But first tell me why programs are talking as if Rinzler still exists," he stated, remembering the program telling him not to ask about Rinzler.

Tron gave a small sigh, "He… does, in a way," Tron admitted, and as they got onto the elevator, he tapped his head. "Sometimes I cannot suppress him, it is… difficult and takes a lot of concentration and energy. I… I cannot go on much longer like this, Sam Flynn," he said, looking out the glass of the elevator as it sped towards the ground.

Sam frowned, brow furrowing. "So… Rinzler randomly pops out and kills programs when they ask about him? That seems too organized to me for it to be spontaneous," he observed. He hated this. Tron… Tron was a hero, and he hated to see him so conflicted.

"No, no… I've been investigating that, and it seems I… or Rinzler, rather, has an imposter," Tron said, crossing his arms. "Rinzler… He operates on commands and he has none at the moment, so when he does take over, he does nothing but observe," Tron said, eyes moving to Sam. "Leave the rest to discuss in private, I do not want to take chances," he said and offered a small smile.

Sam nodded, seeming to understand. So Rinzler had a fan that wanted to emulate him? How crazy… Or maybe it was something bigger, but he doubted it. Maybe he could somehow help Tron to control Rinzler properly… He wasn't sure, he'd have to ask his father about it. He wasn't as familiar with the coding. "So where exactly are we going, Tron?"

"One of my stations," Tron said as the elevator came to a stop. He moved forward, but instead of exiting, he pressed a button that Sam hadn't noticed before, and the elevator continued downwards, basking them in darkness except for the glow from their suits. It didn't take long for the elevator to stop once again and open up. Tron stepped forward, placing his hand on the platform and the wall suddenly opened. He stepped through, glancing at Sam to make sure he was still following. As they exited the elevator, it closed and went back up to the streets.

"Before you ask, yes… this place was built for Flynn and me. It's a surveillance station, and serves as my primary residence," Tron explained, leading the way down the corridor. It lit up as they walked, and Sam noticed a few closed doors on the way to the main room, obviously.

"Impressive," Sam commented, "I'm assuming only you or Dad can access it?" He asked, and received a nod. They came upon the main room, and Sam noticed what looked like a bed in the far side of the room. The front contained many open screens, showing scripts of code- all different. There were consoles and computers everywhere. He also noticed a table and chairs over towards the bed. It was simple and yet complex. Tron led him to the table, where they both took a seat.

"You can give yourself access as well," Tron said, leaning back. He looked pensive. "Flynn… is he..?"

"Alive? Yeah, he's doing well, adjusting to our world again. A lot of things have changed for him," Sam said, nodding. "But anyway… What did you want to discuss? I'm pretty sure it's not my dad…" He trailed off.

"No, you're right. When you, Flynn, and Quorra left through the portal, I made my way to the ship. It was tough, but I took control and steered it away. Without your father, I could not reprogram all those programs that CLU corrupted… I had no choice. They were evil, they would bring chaos to the Grid. So I only had one choice, to destroy them all. I thought of letting myself go with them but…" He trailed off, shaking his head, "I still had a purpose. I needed to help you, the Users. So I fought long and hard, and eventually I had no choice but to crash the ship into the Sea. I escaped, obviously… but all those programs… I don't know what became of them. When I plunged into the sea that day, I was able to override Rinzler, it helped me. I hope it helped them," he explained, unable to meet Sam's eyes. He worried that Sam, a user, would disapprove, and that was evident in his voice.

"You did the right thing, Tron," Sam reassured. "I would have done that, too. They couldn't be saved," he nodded. "But then?" he asked, pressing Tron to continue.

"Not all of CLU's followers are gone. They're hiding, waiting and biding their time for another chance. I cannot find them, and it is frustrating that they elude me," Tron said, motioning to all the open and running scripts. It seemed to be a search. "I get the feeling that my- Rinzler's- imposter is following their orders. I do not know who of CLU's followers still live, though," he said, frowning.

Sam nodded. So the Grid still wasn't safe… "So the Grid is still in danger…" He murmured, receiving a nod. "Alright, I'll investigate from the outside, too. I'll have my dad help as well, if he's up to it. He's been digging the real world, not really sure if he wants to come back after being here so long," he said with a small sigh. It sucked, he didn't know nearly as much as his father did.

Tron leaned forward, "Understandable. What about you? I don't see why you would want to come back after the experience you had," he said, eyes meeting Sam's. There was a hidden meaning in those words. Sam could see it easily.

Sam blinked, ensnared by those piercing mismatched eyes. "Me? This place is amazing… Somebody needs to take my father's place," he shrugged. He looked down at the table, tapping it with his fingers. After a pause, he looked back at Tron, "I don't blame you, Tron," he said softly. "None of us do… Dad said it was amazing you could break the reprogramming on your own like that," he explained. "Besides, Rinzler had a lot of chances to kill me, but he didn't. I think, in a way, you were the one stopping him even if you weren't conscious of it," he said, wondering when he became so… cheesy.

Tron had a ghost of a smile on his lips, but it was gone quickly. "Even so…" He sighed, then stood up. He moved over to the main console, typing some things in. "Alright, the search will run itself and let me know if it finds anything. In the meantime, I think I should show you the areas destroyed by CLU so we can begin reconstruction," he said, heading towards the exit again.

Sam tilted his head, confused at the sudden change. So… Tron was the type that distracted himself with work, like himself and his dad. Interesting. He stood and followed the security program, "We?" He asked, surprised. "Tron.. Uh… I barely know anything about programming codes such as these," he frowned. "I'm not my dad," Sam muttered.

He ran right into Tron who had stopped suddenly. Tron turned around, quickly steadying the User. He shook his head, "Sam Flynn, I've seen what you can do, your potential. You can learn, I know you can. The Grid needs you, needs a User…" He trailed off, hands still on Sam's shoulders.

Sam blinked in surprise. "So being a User doesn't just involve making appearances and looking awesome? Man, I'm in way over my head," he laughed, unsure. He didn't like receiving compliments, and Tron had given him one.

Tron smiled. And Sam noticed it was a real, genuine one. It looked good for him to smile… "While that is part of the job description, work is as well," he chuckled. The program let go of his shoulders, only now realizing he'd still been clasping them.

"You know, you should smile more often… It looks go- it suits you," he said, quickly changing his wording midsentence. A guy shouldn't say another guy looks good, right? What was with that, anyway? "Oh, and just Sam, Tron, alright?" He grinned, moving around Tron towards the elevator. They had things to do, right? "I'll ask my dad to teach me, and you try to relax a bit and have fun, deal? It may take a while… but I'll do it," he nodded with a small smile. "Oh, and I might be able to help with that Rinzler problem… Maybe I can isolate the Rinzler coding so that he can only come out if you say so…" He trailed off, thinking as the elevator came to bring them to the surface.

Tron tilted his head, "Alright, Sam it is, then," he said, following the User. "I'll try, alright? No guarantees… I'm a security program, I'm supposed to be serious and alert," he said simply, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Yeah right, look at that! You're almost smiling again! It must be my presence… I mean, who can't smile when they're around me?" Sam jokingly gloated, smirking.

"Oh, yes. I must admit, one look at you can make anybody laugh," Tron retorted, a small smirk of his own on his face. He stepped off the elevator platform, leaving a gaping Sam behind. He rezzed a light cycle beneath him, but waited politely for the User.

Sam shook his head in disbelief, "Snarky, aren't you?" He commented, rezzing his light cycle as well. He laughed, "Keep it up, Tron, it works for you," he commented.

Tron shrugged a bit, "I'll keep it in mind," he said, blackout helmet closing around his face. He sped off and Sam followed, the paranoia he'd felt earlier completely gone. Tron knew what he was doing.

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><p><strong>AN:**It's amazing how having a lot inspiration helps you write… Again, reviews appreciated! I hope you're enjoying this new story so far. :3 I know I am. XD


	4. Chapter 4

**Warnings:** The usual. Suggested for mature readers.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Tron or any of its characters.

**A/n:** Hi again! Hope you enjoy this chapter, I had trouble deciding how I wanted it to go. XD Ah well~  
><strong><br>AkuRoku Lover-** Ah! I'm glad you like it! :3 I'll try to keep it humorous as much as I can. XD Thanks for reviewing! :D  
><strong>-<strong> Haha XD I'm glad you like the banter (and story!), I'll try to keep it up though I, myself, a, never too good at it. Hehe This chapter is a bit devoid of that, so sorry! Hope you enjoy it, anyway! :3 Thanks for reviewing!  
><strong>Spunkynuts-<strong>Ah, I'm very happy you're enjoying the story and looking forward to updates. :D And thanks for the advice! I never noticed I did that… and since I wrote this chapter before you reviewed, please excuse any mistakes that are similar. X3 I don't have a beta and I don't really have time to edit it. Back in college now. DX But again, much appreciated! :D

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><p>They had taken their light cycles through the Grid, and Sam had seen a lot more than he thought the Grid had. Tron also explained a lot, as well. That programs on the Grid had jobs, purposes… and then when done for the day would go to their ports, or homes, to recharge. So, it was actually a lot like a typical workers day. Wake up, go to work, come home and relax. The night life on the Grid was also apparently amazing, though Tron didn't know firsthand. He had only been to the End of Line club sparingly.<p>

Sam thought it would be a great idea to go to one, then. Besides, he still had a few hours before the portal closed, not to mention they were done viewing all the damaged sectors and discussing what should be done.

What was a little down time with his childhood hero going to hurt?

"I really don't think we should go… I'm still not quite accepted on the Grid, and I don't like to be in such a vulnerable area…" Tron hesitated, coming up with a few excuses. "Besides, shouldn't you get back to the portal and learn from Flynn?" He asked

Sam rolled his eyes, "Jeez, no fun, huh? You'll be fine, Tron… I doubt we'll get attacked at a club with so few of CLU's lackeys left. The portal doesn't close for a few hours, and I can't get my dad to teach me everything in a day, Tron…" He shook his head. The twenty-seven year old took Tron by the arm and pulled him along down the main street of the Grid, away from the elevator.

"So, I may be leading us somewhere, but I have no idea where I'm going. Where're the clubs?" Sam asked Tron, chuckling.

Tron shook his head, "Sam… I really didn't want to.. Very well," he said, after seeing Sam's expression. Flynn once said that Sam had a killer 'puppy dog' expression that could get you to do anything. He now understood the meaning of that. "This way," he said, motioning ahead of them.

After a few turns he finally stopped in front of the place. Unlike the End of Line club, this one was street level, and you could hear the music from way out here, too. Sam grinned and made his way into the club, noticing Tron entered with a bit of reluctance. Aw man, he had to teach Tron how to relax… it wasn't good to be all serious all the time, even the other programs knew that.

Sam walked through the automatic doors as they opened, coming to a stop inside the club. The music was pulsating throughout the place, with programs dancing and mingling, and probably some other things towards the lounge area. He grinned- it was similar to the End of Line club, but smaller and way more crowded.

"Well, well, well! Welcome to my humble club, The Codex… To whom do I have the honor of speaking with, User?" Spoke a female program, a different shade of green to her circuits. She reminded Sam of Quorra with her hair- though hers was a bit longer and white. "My name is Lectra," she smiled.

Sam tilted his head- she knew he was a User, but not who he was? Odd… "My name is Sam," he said, not giving his last name, did he need to? He could practically feel Tron was a bit on edge, and he wondered why. She seemed friendly enough…

"Ah, you're always welcome here. Free drink, perhaps?" She smiled, leading them to the bar area. "And who's your lovely friend, here? I don't believe we've met before, program," she said loftily, leaning over a bit towards Tron.

"No, we have not," Tron replied simply, crossing his arms and putting his weight on his left leg.

"Oh, relax," Sam muttered to Tron, "You might get lucky," he whispered, elbowing the program. He chuckled to himself, wondering if programs… well, if they had sex lives or not. "Sure, I'll have a drink. He will to, sorry he's rude. He's not used to clubs," Sam said with a grin.

Lectra seemed a bit put off, but she smiled at Sam again. "Oh, quite a few are. It's surprising, really. You're supposed to come here and unwind, not get even tenser," she said, handing them both green energy filled glasses. "My specialty here at The Codex! Enjoy it," Lectra said.

Sam handed Tron's drink to him, and he was hesitant to take it. "Sam, be careful with the drinks. Depending on the drink, the energy can be more potent than others. Too much at once will cause an overload for a while, make you lose control of yourself," he explained, watching Sam down his. He wasn't sure that was a good idea… "I don't know the effects on Users…" He trailed off.

"Believe me, Tron, I've been drunk plenty of times. I can handle one drink, now drink yours and be happy!" Sam laughed, patting him on the shoulder.

Tron sighed, and not one to waste a free drink, he downed his as well. The moment he downed it, though, he could tell something was off. It usually didn't take one drink to make him overload… He watched Lectra make it, too- she didn't do anything… So why..?

"S-Sam… Something's wrong. I think we should leave," Tron said, grabbing Sam's elbow. Sam turned and tilted his head.

"Tron, you alright?" He questioned, eyes widening as the security program stumbled into his arms. Okay, something was wrong… Tron was definitely NOT okay. "Tron?"

Tron clenched his eyes shut, then suddenly realization hit him like a light disc. He groaned, "Oh no… Sam, Rinzler…" That was all he could say before suddenly orange started to flood his circuits, but oddly enough only on Tron's right side. As if only half of him was able to come out.

Sam frowned, "Oh shit," was all he could say. He needed to get them both out of here so they didn't cause a scene. He began to pull a stumbling Tron- or Rinzler?- with him out of the club. They made it into the hallway away from most programs when Sam was suddenly shoved against the wall roughly. The blackout helmet was over Tron's face, so it was definitely Rinzler now.

"User," the mechanical voice purred in a low tone. No light discs were grabbed yet, so that was a good sign… What was it Tron had said? Rinzler was the type of program made to obey commands, and there were none since he no longer had a 'master' like CLU…

"Yeah, you've met me before… Sam Flynn," Sam grit out, still pinned against the wall. It was an odd feeling- he couldn't move… he'd never been man handled like this. "Rinzler, let me go," Sam said, a commanding tone in his voice. Well, if he wasn't hurting him now, then he may not… so why not experiment?

All Sam could hear was mechanical purring, but suddenly the pressure around him was gone, and he was able to move again. The half orange and half blue program in front of him was standing there, as if nothing had happened. How was he supposed to get Tron back? "Uh… Rinzler, follow me," he stated, turning to exit the club. He looked over his shoulder, pleased to see Rinzler following. How odd…

Sam made sure the streets were relatively empty before he began to head to the elevator. Might as well take Tron… Rinzler back to the station. He wondered how long it would take for Tron to come back.. hours? He couldn't leave with Rinzler in control; it wouldn't sit well with him.

After reaching the station with no problem- luckily there hadn't been any programs on the street, he turned to Rinzler and sighed. "Disc, please," he said, holding out his hand expectantly.

Rinzler reached behind him and pulled it off, placing the disc into Sam's hand. It was eerie how Rinzler just… obeyed. He took the combined discs to the table and took a seat, inspecting them. Okay… which one did he modify? Both or just one? Sam's eyes narrowed, then shrugged and he picked the blue one, figuring it for the original. He pulled up the code as he had seen his dad do many times last time they were here. And it didn't take a genius to do that.

As he searched through the coding he realized how simple it was, with bits of more advanced coding dispersed throughout. He figured his dad must have taken the original copy of Alan's design and just embellished it a bit. And then he began to notice another type of coding, flawed it seemed. It must have been CLU's… CLU's Rinzler program mingled in there.

It was odd how Sam held Tron's very being in his hands, in front of him like this. Now that his focus was broken with that thought, he noticed a purring from behind him. He turned his head and saw Rinzler standing over him, observing it seemed. It was kind of eerie in a way. Sam remembered Tron had said that's what he did when he came out- observe. But for what? Or for whom?

"Hey, Rinzler, is Tron in there?" He asked, almost jokingly. He didn't expect an answer, but he got one.

"Yes," Rinzler replied, mechanical and devoid of emotion.

"Uh… Will you let him… Let him have control back," he said, changing his voice from askance to commanding.

Rinzler was quiet, not even purring. Then, "Sam?" the helmet retracted and Tron reached a hand up to his head, rubbing his temple as if he had a headache. He stumbled forward a bit, and Sam stood up in order to support the security program.

"Good to have you back, buddy," Sam grinned. "I didn't think commanding Rinzler to let you have control would work, but it seems that it did. He obeys me," he said, shrugging.

"Interesting, indeed," Tron said, tilting his head. It was a curious thing that his 'alter ego' was obeying Sam. He wondered why it was so. "Did you notice anything while looking at my disc? A way to fix this?" He asked, motioning to the disc in Sam's hand.

Sam blinked, "Ah! I, uh, sorry. I didn't mean to go through it without your permission-" he began.

"Sam, it's alright, I trust you," Tron stated with a nod.

Sam nodded. "Well, I found that your coding is pretty simplistic, and there were pretty flawed modifications done to it. They were only mods, though, so I think we can isolate it… I have an idea, I'll have to talk to Dad about it, though. What do you think about having Rinzler, uh, how to say it… Locked away and only able to come out if you or me, or dad actually, commanded him to?" He asked, tilting his head. The user felt like that might be useful.

Tron tilted his head, then nodded. "Well, that will definitely be better than it happening at random. And I…" he trailed off, unsure how to say it. "Those thousand cycles cannot just be forgotten, and whether I like it or not, I was responsible for those actions." He said, looking away, wondering what the User sitting in front of him would say to that.

"I agree, except with the part that you were responsible. You weren't, Tron," Sam said simply, standing up. He gave the two discs back to Tron and he latched them together, placing them back onto his back. "Look, stop blaming yourself for what CLU did to you. Because of your sacrifice, my dad was able to get away, remember?" Sam put a hand on Tron's shoulder.

Tron sighed, "Yes, yes I remember," he replied, "Anyway, we need to get you to the portal. Let's go," he said, avoiding the subject pretty easily.

Sam rolled his eyes at the avoidance. He could understand why Tron was being stubborn about this- he would be the same way. He just wished there was something he could do to help…

…

Sam turned the bike off and kicked the stand down, sliding off easily. He sighed, twirling his keys in his hand. Having to adjust to the real world after going to the Grid was difficult. He found that he liked the Grid, even considering what happened the last time he'd been there.

As Sam entered the house, familiar barking greeted him and he smiled, bending down and petting the dog. He closed the door behind him and walked to the kitchen immediately, to get a bite to eat. "Dad? Quorra?" He called out.

"In here," was the reply from his Dad, coming from the living room. Sam walked in, holding a plate of chicken and fries, obviously left over from what his dad had made. He took a seat in one of the sofa chairs, noticing his dad and Quorra were watching TV. As always, Quorra was fascinated.

"Dad, I think we should wait a bit on sending Alan into the Grid," Sam began, watching his dad look over, full attention on him now. Concern was in his eyes.

"What happened?" He asked, looking his son up and down to make sure he was not injured.

"Tron showed me-"

"Tron? He's alive and well?" His dad asked, shock, relief, and happiness all mixed into one.

"Yeah, yeah he's alive, but I wouldn't say well. He's still blaming himself," Sam explained, "Which reminds me… Rinzler is not completely gone. Apparently he comes out when Tron isn't focusing enough on keeping him back. He did when I was there… I had a look at his disc when he was, and it seems that we would be able to isolate Rinzler's coding to command-only… We let him out when Tron or I or you command him to," he said, shrugging.

"Did he hurt you?" Flynn asked, eyes narrowing.

"No, no… Tron said Rinzler just observes. He's without a master now that CLU is gone, and he was driven by commands… He obeyed me, actually. But anyway, he just watched me, that was all. And I commanded him to let Tron back and he did," Sam shrugged. "But anyway, that's not why Alan shouldn't go in…"

"Well, then what is it?" His dad asked, "Oh, and it's definitely doable, isolating Rinzler that is… I would rather not go back, I… would like to experience this world more since I've missed so much. But I can teach you what to do, Sam," he smiled, nodding.

Sam nodded, "Alright, I figured you'd say that. I have no problem going to the Grid," he said, hiding a smile. "But anyway. Apparently Rinzler has a fan or two, people are impersonating him, attacking anybody who asks questions about Rinzler. Tron is trying to track them, but having no luck yet," he explained. "Not everybody under CLU was destroyed, there are unstable parts of the Grid, unstable programs, and sectors that need to be rebuilt. Tron proposed that I help him do it all, fix the Grid…" Sam explained.

Flynn nodded. "I understand, I can help from the outside, searching for those rogue programs, at least," he nodded, "While you and Tron fix the Grid from the inside. Quorra can help, too. I've taught her quite a bit, even though she cannot create like we can," he said, wondering. "Perhaps now she can, but we cannot know that for sure…" He trailed off, but then he got an odd look on his face, "What do you think of Tron, kiddo?" He asked.

Sam nodded, understanding. He glanced at Quorra, who was nodding. She seemed willing to go back to the Grid… She would be helpful, he thought. Sam looked up when his dad asked him about Tron, "Eh? That's a weird question…" He blinked. "Well, he's cool, I guess. He can be kind of snarky, did you know that?" he asked with a laugh, "But anyway, he's a bit too hard on himself, though. Seems like he needs to relax more," he shrugged.

"That's what I always said," his dad nodded with a small laugh. "Maybe you'll have better luck than I at helping him do that," he said, a small smile on his face. "But anyway, I'll let Alan know a few things need to be done before he can go. He's so doubtful, though I'm sure waiting won't hurt anything," he observed.

Sam nodded, "Alright… Well, in that case. I'm going to get some sleep, I'm beat… Want to start teaching me tomorrow, dad?" He asked, tilting his head.

He received a nod in return, "Yeah, bright and early kiddo!"

"Hey dad?" Sam questioned, looking back at him, "Are you going to take back ENCOM?" he asked, curious.

Flynn sighed, brow furrowing. "I want to, Sam… I'm just not sure how the world will see it, see me," he said, blinking. "Alan said he'll help me figure something out, and if it doesn't work out…" He looked at his son.

"Yeah… I'll think about it," Sam said, sighing. He really didn't want to… he'd become his dad, balancing the Grid, ENCOM, and life? No, not happening… The twenty-seven year old headed to his room, deciding that sleep was the best option at the moment. He'd figure things out tomorrow.

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><p><strong>AN:** This was a tough chapter to write, and I'm not sure why. I guess because in one way, I'm trying not to have too many similarities between this and my Reformation fic. I may use some things from Reformation in here, though. And I think it was tough 'cause, well… Tron's a hard one to write when he's… being hard on himself. XD Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, now review! :3


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